“Voters’ Register Already With Us Before Court’s Ruling” – Chairman Rivers Electoral Commission

By Ayodele Oni

Chairman, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli, (rtd) has announced that Voters Registers for the conduct of the Council Poll were already with the Commission.

Reacting to a Federal High Court ruling on Monday which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the document to the Commission, Enebeli stated that the Commission had proactively obtained the necessary documents in 2024, before the Court orders came into effect.

According to him, “A wise man can never be taken unawares. We are proactive. We will follow due process. Even before the cases went to court, we have loaded with INEC, the correspondence are there.

“It is the gift of patience, planning. I’m not a last minute man, I plan ahead. And so all these things were concluded since last year.”

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the upcoming Local Government Elections scheduled for 5th October 2024.

Justice Lifu issued the order while delivering judgment on a suit brought before him by the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

Justice Lifu criticized RSIEC for setting 5th October as the election date without adhering to the relevant laws governing the conduct of the election.

He ruled that the Rivers State Electoral Body violated the provisions of the Local Government Election law by failing to publish the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date.

Enebeli had led the Commission’s team on Thursday in displaying the voters’ register at Rumudara community in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

Enebeli emphasized the Commission’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, credible and violence-free elections.

The retired Justice explained that the display of the Voters’ Register provided citizens the opportunity to verify their registration and confirm their designated polling units ahead of the elections.

Enebeli urged the people of Rivers State to turn out en masse on October 5 to vote for their preferred candidates.

He reiterated the Commission’s dedication to providing a level playing field for all political parties and their candidates, assuring the public of RSIEC’s impartiality.